Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is known for hosting the second Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858, and as “Pretzel City, USA”, due to a popular local German bakery that became competently known for its prolific pretzel production after it opened in 1869. Freeport High School’s mascot is the Pretzel to praise its heritage.

The community was originally called Winneshiek. When it was incorporated, the other municipality took its broadcast from the generosity of Tutty Baker, who was certified with paperwork a “free port” on the Pecatonica River. The name “Winneshiek” was higher adopted, and is preserved to this day, by the Freeport Community Theatre Group.

In 1837, Stephenson County was formed and Freeport became its chair of management in 1838. Linked by a stagecoach once Chicago, the community grew rapidly. In 1840, a frame courthouse was erected and the first learned was founded. Within two years, Freeport had two newspapers and in 1853, the two were associated by a third which published in German. By then, the community had a population of 2,000.

On August 27, 1858, the second debate amongst Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas took place in Freeport and gave the nation processing in the gone years. Although Stephen Douglas won the election and retained his U.S. Senate seat, his respond to a Ask on slavery alienated the South, which called it the “Freeport Heresy”, and split the Democratic Party. This enabled Abraham Lincoln to win the Presidency in 1860.